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Originally Posted by Frosstbyte
Not gonna lie, guys, if you want to get caught up in whether she's being "raped" and didn't consent, I think you should probably pass on this show.
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I disagree...I think one of the main themes of the show is consent/control over your own life, and Whedon very explicitly wants the issue of rape to be part of this. Dollhouse is all about questioning the nature of identity, willpower, control over one's life, memory, etc., and this is one (important) part of that discussion.
It's not like this is an original conceit - it's a sci-fi classic. Think Blade Runner or, if we're onto the question of identity/memory/sexual consent, Jude Law's character in A.I. I'm sure there are a million other examples people can think of.
Edit: And now that I think about it, it isn't like this is the first time Whedon has tread these waters. Think of the Season Six Buffy episode where the Trio brainwash Warren's old girlfriend and basically attempt to rape her. In Firefly, issues of consent and responsibility are brought up repeatedly for Inara, the geisha-like 'Companion,' especially in the episode Heart of Gold. Hell, even the very first Angel episode featured a brilliant metaphor for the 'casting couch' when a powerful, rich vampire lures Cordelia to his mansion with a promise to make her a star. The difference with Dollhouse is that these issues are much more central than with his other shows.